


500 (Oh, Baek)

by underthecitylights



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Canon, Fluff, Jealous Sehun, Light Angst, M/M, May slightly imply Baekhyun and Lucas interactions, SEE END NOTES FOR SEQUEL LINK, Very few and subtle mentions of SuperM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23835340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underthecitylights/pseuds/underthecitylights
Summary: "Oh, Baek."Sehun says with a laugh that follows whenever Baekhyun jokes around. Sometimes, with a teasing tone because his hyung is adorable when teased. Soon, with confusion and worry when he gets all these mixed feelings he's never had before.Lastly, with love as he realizes his last name fits perfectly for his favorite hyung.And, uh-oh. Sehun is doomed.오백 = 500
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Oh Sehun
Comments: 18
Kudos: 105
Collections: CASE–94: Round One





	500 (Oh, Baek)

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was written for the first round of the CASE-94 Fest for Oh Sehun.
> 
> Prompt Code: C1-067

_'SeBaek get married!'_

Sehun spots the banner first, laughs at it while waving at the fan holding it before walking up to his Baekhyun hyung to show him. Baekhyun laughs and waves along with Sehun before putting his arm around the younger member's waist, causing fans in the nearby section to cheer.

It isn't new to Baekhyun and Sehun — they both know the fans ship them together and call them _SeBaek_ (a combination of their names) most of the time. It has been going on for a long time but Sehun can't exactly recall when it started. 

Initially, they have not been this close. Sehun has been closer to one of the older hyungs, then, and Baekhyun with Chanyeol and Jongdae — they've been tagged as the _Beagle Line_. Probably because the group has too many members and Baekhyun has joined the team late that Sehun was not able to establish a connection with him as strong as that of with the members he's spent years with pre-debut. Sehun has always been that shy kid who doesn't know how to approach and get friendly with strangers so it's not a surprise.

Maybe it has started when their positions have been rearranged during introductions and ments and Sehun ended up standing beside Baekhyun as the last members on the line. The older male is someone, as Sehun has figured out, who does everything to make someone comfortable with him (even if it takes him going naked around the dorm) and somehow, Baekhyun makes it so easy for Sehun, almost effortless. Standing together allows Baekhyun to goof around with Sehun more, naturally bringing the younger's playfulness out and perhaps, the fans think the interactions are cute.

Sehun thinks so, too.

Being with his Baekhyun hyung is just so fun that Sehun now finds joy every time he does fanservices for those who ship him and Baekhyun together. More often than not, he forgets about fanservices and just genuinely enjoys spending time doing random and weird things with his hyung. They're stuck on their hips whenever they're on stage and even behind the cameras. The members and the staff are witnesses of how inseparable they are that they often call them _chimaek_ (chicken and beer). It's a weird name, Sehun notes, but the members have explained before that it sounds like SeBaek. “ _Besides, chicken and beer is a classic pair that will never not match,_ ” Sehun remembers their manager, Yongmin hyung, adding.

He feels his Baekhyun hyung's slender arms around his waist once more and hears the crowd coo, some scream. It pulls Sehun out of his trance.

He likes it every time his Baekhyun hyung hugs him despite looking deadpan. A _tsundere_ , as fans call him, is what Sehun is.

"There goes that banner again," he hears Baekhyun say with a chuckle amidst the booming voice of Chanyeol who's taking his turn to do the ment and greet the fans.

Sehun spots it almost immediately. It's hard not to as it stands out the most due to its neon color, in contrast to the usual dark shades.

He giggles along with Baekhyun. "Looks like an avid fan."

Baekhyun releases Sehun from his hug and if Baekhyun hears Sehun's tiny whine at the loss of warmth and contact, Sehun's glad his hyung doesn't say anything.

The short brunet looks at him playfully. "Should we get to it?"

"Get to what?"

"Marriage."

Sehun laughs. His Baekhyun hyung has always made the weirdest jokes that make his insides do the weirdest flips.

"Okay. Let's get the ring tomorrow." Sehun plays along with a cheeky grin.

Baekhyun laughs at that.

"Why would you say that? The proposal's no longer a surprise now." He hits Sehun lightly.

Sehun laughs along this time.

"What are you doing?" Kyungsoo turns everyone's attention on the two as he playfully calls them out.

The fans scream again as Sehun waves his hands off, signalling Kyungsoo to continue.

Once they both calm down from laughing, Baekhyun hooks his hands around Sehun's arm. Sehun glances at them — Baekhyun's pretty hands, specifically — for a second and suddenly thinks about his hyung's ring size. He doesn't understand why he thinks of it, either.

Baekhyun's turn to talk comes soon and the latter's wits and humor never fail to amaze Sehun. Somehow, everyone always ends up laughing their guts out whenever Baekhyun has the mic and Sehun admires him even more for that. Once, or maybe twice — thrice, Sehun is not so sure anymore — he has told Baekhyun he wishes he can be as funny as the older. He wants to receive such reactions from people too. Baekhyun, being the sweetest hyung that he is, has smiled and reassured him before that he is. _"You are adorably hilarious, Sehun-ah,"_ he remembers Baekhyun saying it ever so giggly. _"I personally think our humor codes match."_

Sehun starts believing it, too. They belong to the same ABO blood type group after all.

The laughter of the fans erupts, which pulls Sehun back to the present. Apparently, Baekhyun has joked about the fans' reactions during one of the sexier stages and mimicked them accurately. It's supposed to be a joke but it turns out to be really cute. It makes Sehun wonder if Baekhyun can ever be not cute.

He guesses not.

When the fans and the members start chanting his name, Sehun knows it's now his time to do the ment.

"Did you guys have fun?" the crowd roars a yes, but all Sehun hears is Baekhyun's.

Sehun nods to the fans. He tells everyone how happy he is to finally be able to get this close again with the fans and how he's always looking forward to this. Baekhyun affirms it by repeatedly saying, "That's right." Slowly clinging to Sehun as he does so, wanting to get himself a bite of him.

Sehun tries not to mind him and continues making his ment.

"When you go home, please go in groups. Don't wander around alone. The world is a dangerous place," Sehun reminds everyone and the fans (and members) can't help but coo at his thoughtfulness.

"Ah, as expected of our maknae," Jongdae comments, flashing a smile that says he's proud of their youngest.

Everybody is.

Baekhyun looks at Sehun fondly, arms around the taller's waist once again. "Sehunnie is so sweet."

Sehun getting shy is such an adorable sight for everyone that they coo again. Feeling embarrassed, Sehun decides to end his ment with quick and short words and promises of love and hardwork.

Junmyeon takes his turn and gives his message.

"Our maknae is all grown up now," Baekhyun comments. "You did well today, Sebongie. Hyung is proud of you."

Since then, Sehun wants nothing more than to keep Baekhyun feeling proud of him.

And maybe more. But he doesn't know that yet. 

* * *

It has been a long day for Sehun. He starts the day in the wee hours and ends an hour early the next day. It's exhausting and Sehun wants nothing but to sleep.

He comes out of the shower with a towel on his hair, fresh and ready for bed. Except, his bed isn't ready for him.

"Hyung?" he calls the man claiming his bed as his own.

Baekhyun looks up and Sehun notices how his face glows a little as he smiles. "Hi, Sehunnie. Mind if I crash tonight?"

Sehun walks towards the smaller male. "Sure, hyung. You know you don't have to ask, right?"

Baekhyun sits up. "I know I'm always welcome. Just thought I'd be nice for once and actually ask."

Sehun laughs, shaking his head at that. "That's indeed nice of you, hyung."

The older male grins and opens his arms wide, telling Sehun to come and cuddle with him in the bed. Sehun puts the towel away, chuckling at the adorable sight of his hyung waiting for him, and complies. He falls right into Baekhyun's embrace but he's so tall and heavy for the shorter male that they end up falling on the bed together. Laughter fills the room.

Baekhyun goes quiet after a while and Sehun can see the worry on his face. They've been spending time together for so long that he can easily read Baekhyun now. He's like an open book.

Besides, Sehun doesn't want to see that sad pout on his face for long despite him looking cute with it. So he taps Baekhyun's right cheek.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks ever so softly.

Baekhyun pouts even more, tightening his embrace. "Jongin and I are about to debut again."

"Huh? What do you mean? Like a sub-unit?"

Baekhyun frowns. "I wish it was, but no. It's a new team."

"A new team?" Sehun echoes; forehead creasing with confusion.

He nods lightly. "Called the Avengers of K-Pop or something as cringey as that. You know, SM. It's like" — he pauses for a while, thinking of the right word — "uh, a mixed team? There will be members from different boy groups of SM. Jongin and I are, like, the representatives for EXO."

"Oh, I see. That sounds cool but you don't look and sound happy about the idea," he reflects. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just" — a pause — "worried. I'm not exactly sure how the fans will react."

Sehun gives it a thought before replying, "I think it's a good opportunity, hyung. I'm pretty sure the fans would love to see another side of you."

Baekhyun can only sigh and bury his face on Sehun's chest, causing the latter to tense up slightly. He thinks he's heard Baekhyun say something along the lines of _"I really hope so"_ but he's not quite sure. His heart is pounding fast and he can feel his body sweating despite the cool temperature in his room. He doesn't understand why; why now. Baekhyun always longs for physical touch so this position should not bother Sehun at all. They've been this intimate, this touchy, for god knows how long and he doesn't understand why he's only reacting differently now. What has changed?

Baekhyun's soft mumbles pop his thought bubble. Sehun looks at the older male and realizes he has already fallen asleep. He is so close that Sehun can count the moles on his face. He gulps as he feels it all again — the pounding, the warmth, and the strong urge to touch his cheeks. With his lips. Kiss. The word he's looking for is kiss. Sehun desires to kiss his hyung but he refuses to admit it. The thought alone scares him because why does he want to do that? Why does he feel that way? He cannot kiss him. Baekhyun is his hyung, his fellow member. A very close friend who can now pass as his brother. Sehun can't kiss a brother.

He slowly, gently wiggles his arm off of Baekhyun but it's useless. It looks like Baekhyun has completely locked himself on Sehun, refusing to let the taller go and Sehun is too exhausted to keep trying so he lets him. He settles with the position — not that he is complaining, anyway — and sighs.

He decides to look away, instead, but not without holding the older tighter.

Sehun goes to sleep with a wish that tonight will be the first and the last time he'll ever feel that way.

* * *

It takes him months to realize his wish will not be granted.

Maybe his wish has come true, because every time he feels a certain way for his hyung, it is also the last time he ever feels it. Because every single day, it only grows stronger. They are never gone nor do they become weaker. He continues to wonder why he's having this kind of feelings he's never had before, but every time he thinks about it, he stops himself from going as far as having possible reasons. He avoids opening it up to other people as well because he's scared, not because of how they might react but because they might give him the answer he's been looking for. Sehun hasn't figured it out himself and he's lost. Completely lost and perplexed. But whatever it is, he isn't ready.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Sehun almost breaks his neck with how fast he's turned his head.

It's Baekhyun, freshly showered and smelling like Sehun's shampoo. Even his clothes smell like Sehun.

His eyes go wide in realization. "Is that my shirt?"

Baekhyun flashes a toothy grin, probably trying to do _aegyo_ and oh dear heavens, why does Sehun's heart flutter at that?

"Yes! I forgot to bring my set of clothes so I decided to borrow a pair of yours."

"Why didn't you just go to your dorm and get some?" Sehun complains with a whine, a mask to conceal and drown out the strong beating of his heart. He thinks he's doing it pretty well.

Well, he's wrong.

Baekhyun pouts mercilessly and that almost breaks him. "I'm too beat for that."

He knows his hyung is only making another excuse but he doesn't complain. Baekhyun looks tiny drowning in a shirt— _his_ shirt— a few sizes larger than him. He looks cute. Very cute. Sehun finds it cute, again, like all the other things that are Baekhyun.

"Wait, when did you arrive?"

"Half an hour ago or so. Just enough for me to finish showering." He sits on the couch adjacent to where Sehun is sitting. He continues drying his hair before asking, "What were you thinking?"

"Nothing." Sehun wants to say something else but he doesn't.

"You didn't even notice me entering the dorm and yet, you say it's nothing." Baekhyun rolls his eyes. The nerve of their maknae to blatantly lie to him, of all people.

Sehun sighs. "I'm just a little worried about the unit."

It isn't a complete lie, but it isn't the truth either. Among Sehun's many worries, which mostly involve Baekhyun, is the project he's been working on for the last few months with Chanyeol and the people from his studio. It's fun, finally having the opportunity to showcase his musicality but Sehun, despite the many years he has been working in such an industry, cannot help but worry about the reactions and its result. Afterall, he and his Chanyeol hyung have exerted so much effort on it.

"You mean, the sub-unit?" Sehun nods. "What's bothering you?"

"I'm just nervous yet so excited at the same time. It's like debuting all over again."

"Well, technically, you are debuting again."

"You know what I mean," Sehun whines with a pout.

Baekhyun only giggles.

"Yes, I do. I was just messing up with you, Sebongie."

Damn, the things that nickname does to Sehun. At this point, he's just glad he's able to stop himself from showing any of his emotions to Baekhyun.

"I was just worried about how the general public will accept it."

Baekhyun fondly looks at him, waiting for Sehun to continue expressing his feelings.

"Am I overreacting?"

"Of course not!" Baekhyun reacts rather strongly. He's not going to let Sehun invalidate his own feelings. "That's normal. It does feel like you are starting all over again but really, I've seen nothing other than positive comments, Sebongie," he reassures the younger. "The fans have been looking forward to tomorrow."

"I know," Sehun sighs. "But it's so hard to beat Korea's best-selling soloist," he jokes.

Baekhyun laughs, the most beautiful sound, and hits Sehun on his arm very lightly. "Well, if it makes you feel better, the record was for soloists." Baekhyun wears a smug grin that looks more adorable to Sehun than smug. "You can be the best-selling duo or take over CBX, I'll let you do that."

Sehun laughs along. "CBX is hard to beat, too."

Baekhyun stops laughing and flashes a fond smile, instead. As he holds Sehun's cheeks with his hands, he reminds him, "Sebongie, you don't have to beat anyone. Just do what you want to do. You and Chanyeol are good at what you do. I believe— no, I _know_ SC will do so, so well."

Sehun feels his chest and cheeks grow warm at Baekhyun's sincerity. Many years in and Sehun's still feeling so blessed to have them as his members.

He gives Baekhyun a soft smile. "Thanks, hyung. Are you sleeping with me again tonight?"

He thinks he's dreaming but he sees Baekhyun's eyes sparkle, with a hint of playfulness, as he says, "Yes! Can I please?"

"Of course, hyung" — Sehun pauses — "but I need to be at Chanyeol hyung's studio tonight."

Baekhyun loses the sparkle almost immediately as he frowns. "But why? It's already so late."

"We'll need to go through the songs one last time in preparation for the showcase."

"Oh." Baekhyun only frowns deeper. "Okay. Should I wait for you?"

Sehun shakes his head. "Sleep ahead, hyung. I know you're tired."

Baekhyun looks like he wants to say something more but refuses to. He only settles with a pout — _too adorable_ — and nods his head, acknowledging Sehun with a soft "okay".

"Don't work too hard, alright?" Baekhyun reminds him.

Sehun nods, promising his hyung he'll do just that.

Sehun leaves Baekhyun that night with a heavy heart and comes back with an even heavier one. Baekhyun looks so soft, so fragile under his covers on his own bed. He looks so… huggable. Sehun almost regrets suggesting to Chanyeol to practice the day before their debut.

"Baekhyunnie is here again?" Chanyeol asks when he passes by Sehun's open room.

Sehun only hums, pretending to fix things because he cannot be caught by any member staring at Baekhyun like that. Or just staring at him. That's a no-no.

"He probably feels lonely in his dorm room not having Kyungsoo and Minseok."

Sehun's heart sinks at that. He's never thought about it and realizing what Chanyeol says might be true makes him sad for some reason.

"Maybe," he replies with a hint of sadness in his tone.

Sehun's glad Chanyeol doesn't notice it.

"Rest well, Sehun-ah. You've done well again, tonight."

Sehun smiles. "Thanks, hyung. You too. Good night."

Sehun sighs as the door closes and stares back at the sleeping Baekhyun on his bed. A frown makes its way on his face when he thinks about what Chanyeol just said. Is his hyung lonely? As someone who values and enjoys his time with the members, that's not impossible for Baekhyun. While a part of him is sad over it, he's also glad he's the person Baekhyun seeks out when lonely; the person he goes to whenever he wants company and attention.

Sehun is always more than willing to give it. As a friend who wants to be there for his hyung, too. Yes.

He lies down beside the older one and drowns under the same covers. The movement causes Baekhyun to stir in his sleep and Sehun freezes, not wanting to wake him up. Baekhyun doesn't and Sehun is glad. But the smaller, being a cuddler, snuggles to Sehun, almost as if wanting to share his warmth. He buries his face on his broad chest, calmly taking in his scent, as if it's what he needs to stay asleep. Sehun tenses up while Baekhyun is in a deep, peaceful slumber. He almost thinks it's unfair. He's having a crisis and the reason for it is sleeping soundly beside him.

Totally unfair.

* * *

Days have gone by; busier and busier. The sub-unit has been a success and like what Baekhyun has predicted, EXO-SC breaks the record, now the best-selling sub-unit. Baekhyun has even pretended to be sad and joked, "Aww, you actually beat CBX." Sehun laughs and apologizes then. He's made a promise to let CBX claim their throne back once Minseok hyung is back. Of course Baekhyun's only kidding. He's even made sure to post a photo in his Instagram account to show his utmost support and pride.

Both Sehun and Chanyeol can't be prouder and happier. It's like a dream come true for them; it's their first baby, after all. The fruit of their hard work for countless sleepless nights amidst their non-stop preparations for their next world tour and future sixth comeback. The proof of their impeccable talent in music. Not that their group releases aren't but the unit has provided an even bigger avenue for the both of them to showcase more than what their company allowed them to in every comeback. Chanyeol has shown more of the music he himself produced and Sehun has more lines to sing and rap to, showing off his impressive development after all the vocal training sessions.

Baekhyun isn't any better; both he and Jongin juggle their schedules for both groups. After finishing one of their concert stops with EXO, they have to separate from their team to fly to Dubai the very next day for the music video shoot of the new group's debut song. Sehun lets them go after they have promised to video call with him always, which satisfies the youngest. In return, Sehun promises them a food truck. Baekhyun uploads a photo of it on his Instagram immediately after it arrives and shoots a quick private message to Sehun expressing his gratitude.

_"As expected of our maknae"_ is what Baekhyun sends, followed by a bunch of happy and kissy emojis. Selcas of him holding a piece of bread and a cup of coffee are sent after. _"I'll eat it well!"_

Sehun's chest then swells in happiness; heart pounds too hard he's scared it's gonna break his ribs, contrast to the short, calm, and simple reply he has sent— _"yw, hyung"._

Following the debut of SuperM, which has to take place around 7,000 miles away, Baekhyun and Jongin barely step foot in their dorm, much less in South Korea. Flying in and out of the country, spending more time away from the group. From Sehun.

And he misses Baekhyun. So, so much, despite them calling each other almost every single day (or night, in Baekhyun's case). He's only been away for a few weeks but the longing is almost unbearable. Luckily, somehow, looking at Baekhyun's photos makes it easier.

He discovers it one time when he scrolls through his secret Twitter account; something he does when he's got nothing to do. It's also something his fans do not know but he likes to keep it that way, anyway. He enjoys stalking them stealthily and subtly telling them he knows what's going on. Their reactions always amuse him. Most of the time, he stalks his fansites and checks for high quality shots of him. He also searches for the fans' reactions to various contents like music videos, stage performances, and more.

But this time, he thinks of searching for updates about Baekhyun. Maybe Jongin, too; but mostly Baekhyun.

He watches with a proud smile etched on his face as he watches videos of the group's performances. It's grand and he can tell there are a lot of people who have come to watch. He sees a mini sea of _eribongs_ waving and all the other groups', too. It's beautiful.

Then the camera focuses on Baekhyun and Sehun is slightly taken aback. He doesn't know if it's the lighting or the wardrobe doing its magic but Baekhyun looks ethereal. Sweaty and exhausted, but not any less pretty. Maybe even prettier than all of the lights combined.

Sehun likes the video. His account is locked so he's brave enough to do it.

He scrolls some more, laughing at Jongin's reaction when he gets paired with Baekhyun as his roommate. He whines and playfully accuses Baekhyun of doing it intentionally. It does seem like it has been planned but it isn't. It's out of pure coincidence when they both picked the same room. Maybe EXO is indeed bound to be together for all time; like they're stuck together wherever they go and Sehun finds it hilarious but also cute.

He likes the preview, too. Jongin being a baby is always entertaining.

Then he comes across a tweet spazzing about Baekhyun and Lucas, one of the kids from NCT. He's met him a few times before. Good-looking and seems nice. He seems fun, too, but they never have a chance to talk and interact properly. He's closer to the group's older members who he has spent time with before his debut.

He clicks on the tweet and finds out it isn't just a single one but many— a thread. It's a thread of photos and videos focusing on Baekhyun and Lucas.

The bright smile turns upside down; frown getting deeper and deeper as he goes through the thread more, too. The fan has started the thread with a tweet about how adorable their height difference is and he can't help but think about his and Baekhyun's. He thinks it's the cutest, just how his hyung fits perfectly on his chest when he hugs him and how he needs to tiptoe every time he wants to whisper something to Sehun.

Yeah, that's nothing compared to that.

Wait, why is he comparing?

He shrugs and keeps digging, anyway. But the more he does so, the more his chest and stomach twist in a very unfamiliar way. And he doesn't like it. Not even a tiny bit.

There are videos of Lucas putting his arms around Baekhyun. Lucas laughing at Baekhyun's antics louder than anybody else. Lucas holding Baekhyun's arms; other times, his hands. Lucas sitting beside Baekhyun every single time. Lucas poking his cheeks. Lucas saying he wants to share the room with Baekhyun. Lucas staring at Baekhyun like _that._ Lucas everywhere.

He even finds out that Lucas has the same ABO blood type group as Baekhyun and him. Sehun can feel his O positive blood boil at that. He thinks about dropping the whole ABO compatibility, it's not fun anymore, and reminds himself to search in Google for their zodiac signs' compatibility later.

And when he stops scrolling through the thread to find more (just) Baekhyun photos, he notices Lucas seems to be always there. Sehun sees him in almost every photo, in every video, near Baekhyun and it feels… uncomfortable. Sehun doesn't understand where it's coming from; this… annoying, unpleasant feeling he's having as more pictures appear.

He sees a few more videos of their interactions and if somebody can read his mind, they'll definitely tell him he's being petty— _'It is him who always initiates contact, anyway. Not Baekhyun hyung.'_

He wins.

Because when he's with Baekhyun, it's always the elder who asks for his attention. It's always Baekhyun who clings first. It's always Baekhyun who hugs him first. Sehun will just stand there and like a firefly that is attracted to the light that is Sehun, Baekhyun will move closer to him and do silly random things like bite him.

Baekhyun even called him on the 18th of September just to greet him with a “ _Happy SeBaek day, Sebongie!”_ He remembers small details like this and often shares them with Sehun.

So who actually wins? Who’s actually the favorite?

There is no reason to feel threatened at all.

But then again, he's confused. Why is it affecting him in the first place? 

Like he's always known, Baekhyun is a very friendly person. It's always easy for him to establish a close relationship with other people. The people around them admire Baekhyun; they love him— well, who doesn't?

So this shouldn't be a surprise. This shouldn't have mattered to Sehun. He's known Baekhyun for so long and has seen him closely interacting with their members and even the people outside of EXO and SM. It hasn't bothered him, at least not until now.

So why will Lucas be a threat? A threat to what exactly?

Sehun sees another video. He has never exited the app that quick before.

It's enough Twitter for him that day. Time for bed.

Or so he thinks.

His phone starts ringing and he jolts up as soon as he reads the name. He answers it almost immediately. After all, it's his Baekhyun hyung calling through Facetime. 

"Sebongie!" Baekhyun cheers on the other side the moment the call gets connected. It doesn't stay long, however, when he notices Sehun's in bed. "Oh, did I wake you up? I'm sorry."

Sehun denies with a shake of his head, "It's okay, hyung. I wasn't sleeping."

"Hi, Sehunnie!" Jongin suddenly appears and happily waves his hands at the camera.

Sehun laughs and does the same.

"Hi, Nini! You look good."

"Thanks!" Jongin beams. "Have you seen our performances?"

The maknae nods. "It was great, as expected of you."

"Ah, you flatter me," Jongin comments and bats his eyelashes cutely. "Keep it coming!"

Baekhyun shouts in the background, "Sebongie, what about me?" 

"Go away, hyung." Jongin playfully pushes Baekhyun away. "I'm not done fishing for compliments from Sehun."

"But I called him! You go away!" Baekhyun takes his phone back and pushes Jongin away this time.

Jongin eventually leaves but not without calling Baekhyun a meanie. It makes Sehun laugh.

"So, Sebongie, how have you been?" He flashes a bright smile, like he always does.

"Busy." 

_“Also, very confused at the moment”_ is what Sehun wanted to add, but of course he doesn't. "Chanyeol hyung and I have been touring around for our fansign events. It was fun. I've been busy shooting for an ad, too."

"Oooh, that does sound fun. I’ve seen photos from your fansigns. They were packed! Ah! As expected of SC!"

Sehun blushes. “Yeah, I’m surprised there were a lot of Eris who came. What about you, hyung?"

"Well, we are mostly practicing for our concerts and doing interviews. We're on a short break right now before we move to another interview," Baekhyun replies. "We're going to Ellen!"

"Really? Wow, hyung! That's big!" Sehun says with amazement. "So that's why you are on your stage outfits."

Baekhyun looks at his clothes before looking back at the camera. "Yep. It looks good, doesn't it?"

_You always look good_.

Sehun subtly bites his lower lip. "Yes, it does."

"Does my hair look good, too?" Sehun hums. "Lucas chose the style for me. He said I look better in it."

Sehun visibly freezes, feeling as if bile is rising up his throat. There goes that feeling again, that unwanted feeling he's had earlier. It's coming back and this time, it's much more unpleasant than the previous one.

And Sehun has to swallow it, hardly, because Baekhyun looks at him with so much concern and confusion.

"Sebongie? Are you okay?" He can hear Baekhyun asking.

Sehun clears his throat, a poor attempt at getting rid of that bitterness. He pretends to rub his eyes and fakes a yawn. “Yeah, yeah. I’m okay.”

“Oh, are you sleepy?” Baekhyun sounds sad.

“A little bit.” _Not really._

“Oh, okay. You should get some rest now. You’ve had a long day ahead.”

“Yeah. I guess I’ll do that.”

Baekhyun smiles. It doesn’t reach his eyes, though. “Good night, Sebongie!”

“Good night, hyung.” Sehun throws back a small wave before disconnecting the call.

When it ends, he releases the breath he’s been holding all the time and groans. Almost immediately after, he already misses the older member. And he’s disappointed; not at Baekhyun but at himself. For cutting it off unreasonably. For not knowing why he’s done what he’s done.

He thinks he needs to figure it out— figure _this_ out— sooner or later. He doesn't want to end up hurting Baekhyun. That's the last thing he would ever want to do.

It's not even on his list, in the first place.

* * *

Sehun is not kidding when he says he'll read more about Taurus-Aries compatibility. After knowing the kid, Lucas, — god he can't even say (or think of) the name now without it leaving a bitter taste in his mouth— shares the same ABO blood type group as them, he's determined to find a more… exclusive and even stronger connection. Something that only he and his Baekhyun hyung can share. No Lucas around. He even searches for Lucas' birthday prior just to make sure he doesn't end up being a Taurus or an Aries. Luckily for Sehun, Lucas is neither. He's an Aquarius.

"What are you searching for?" Sehun jumps in surprise when he hears Chanyeol, clutching his heart in fear of having a heart attack.

"Hyung! Don't you know how to knock?!" He sounds annoyed but he's just really surprised and… scared that Chanyeol might see whatever he's searching for and make comments which Sehun will rather not hear.

"I did!" Chanyeol retaliates. "I've been calling you. You are so focused on what you're reading." Chanyeol leans closer to Sehun's monitor and his eyes widen in realization. "Is that Astrology?"

Oops. 

Sehun flushes in the prettiest pink. He wants to shut his computer down and hide but it's already too late for that. Chanyeol will only question him more if he does so he tries to stay unfazed.

"Just..." — Sehun pauses and clears his throat — "I came across it while I was browsing. It looks interesting so I checked it out."

"Oh! And why are you checking Aries and Taurus' compatibility?" Chanyeol wiggles his eyebrows at him, looking smug. "Who is the lucky one?"

Sehun blushes harder and stutters, "What do you mean?"

Chanyeol teases about how their maknae is all grown up and having crushes now before sitting on his bed. Sehun denies it with all his heart.

He's not having a crush on Baekhyun! He just wants to know if he has a better and stronger connection with Sehun than Lucas. He wants to be Baekhyun's _only_ favorite.

"Well, Sehunnie, you might not know but I am knowledgeable enough about Astrology," Chanyeol speaks proudly. "I can tell you about a Taurus and an Aries' relationship."

Sehun does not expect that. But then again, it's Chanyeol. He must've forgotten how Chanyeol jumps from one interest to another. Such a passionate young man and that's why Sehun always looks up to his Chanyeol hyung. Not only is he talented, but he's also a very hardworking man who loves to explore and learn. It's admirable. Sehun somehow aspires to be the same.

"Passion drives both Taurus and Aries," Chanyeol starts off seriously. "Both are dominant signs, both wanting to be the best, to be on top. Can make a good pair, actually, despite being a fire sign and an earth one. Not that bad," he stops and Sehun grows a little nervous. He doesn't even understand why.

"However, Aries tends to be in a rush most of the time while Taurus seems to stay rooted on the ground. They enjoy a slow pace, wants to be chased. You may want to date your crush now." Chanyeol chuckles, giving Sehun a meaningful look. "But Taurus likes to take their sweet, sweet time. Pursuing them's gonna be a challenge for you as an Aries."

Sehun blushes madly at that. What was Chanyeol thinking? He's not thinking about dating Baekhyun!

And his heart is certainly not beating too hard at the thought of that. He's just… taken aback. And nervous! Yes!

It's also probably just a slip of his mind when he thinks about how he will not mind waiting.

"Oh," that's all Sehun can say. He wants to deny it being a whole dating stuff but that would probably lead Chanyeol to ask more questions he's not ready to answer just yet. So he stays silent and comments no more.

He just wants to know how strong his connection with Baekhyun is, whether Lucas will really be a threat or not.

Again, a threat to what exactly? Sehun has yet to figure it out.

Then he thinks about Lucas and Baekhyun. From what he gains from Chanyeol, the Aries-Taurus compatibility is not the best but not bad, either. Now, he wonders about an Aquarius and Taurus.

"Totally, a big no-no!" Chanyeol asserts. Turns out, Sehun has said his curiosity out loud. 

His ears perk up at Chanyeol's answer so he turns to him attentively.

"They don't match at all!" Chanyeol sounds so sure. "A Taurus, who's super grounded and prefers stability above all, can never take the indecisive ass of an Aquarius. They are very independent and oftentimes, they don't exactly know what they want, in contrast to a Taurus who has it all figured out. They can't make up their minds and are very unpredictable. It's chaos, I tell you, so don't worry."

There's a hint of teasing in Chanyeol's tone as he adds, "Between an Aries and Aquarius, your Taurus crush will most probably match with you more and eventually, will choose you over the other."

Sehun tries all his might not to look overjoyed but he feels an overwhelming amount of happiness surging through his entire being, he fears he might explode. The unwanted bitterness is gone and his mind has slightly calmed down after knowing he and Baekhyun still get to share a much better connection.

Lucas is not a threat. He shouldn’t be worried.

So on that day, Sehun declares his second win.

* * *

It’s almost noontime in Seoul when Sehun receives the call while on his way to where his lovely lunch is waiting for him. Though he’s excited to take it, his brows are furrowing in wonder. It’s already around midnight in the US where Baekhyun is currently at. Why is Baekhyun hyung calling him that late?

“Sebongie!” Baekhyun greets excitedly as soon as the video connects. Sehun sees no signs of exhaustion at all. He briefly wonders if Baekhyun gets a rest day.

"Hyung." He looks and sounds bewildered. "It's late. Why are you still up?"

"It's the first snow in Korea!" Baekhyun squeals.

"It is?"

"Yes! Go outside, you dummy." The sound of Baekhyun's laughter chimes. Sehun realizes it might be his favorite sound now.

"Don't want to." Sehun pouts. "I'm on the highest floor. I don't wanna go down."

Baekhyun rolls his eyes but not without a giggle. "Just look outside the window, Sebongie."

Sehun does what he's told and looks outside through the floor-to-ceiling glass window of the room he's in. Indeed, he sees tiny beautiful snowflakes falling on the ground. Looks like snow has come early to Korea this year.

He smiles, like a kid who witnesses snow for the first time. Well, for someone who likes snow and winter like Sehun, that isn't a surprise.

"It's snowing!" he says, tone cheerful, and flips to the rear camera. He's showing Baekhyun the pretty snow that slowly fills the streets with white.

Baekhyun chuckles. "It is. So lovely. Ah, it must be colder in Korea now."

Sehun just hums, eyes fix outside.

"Make sure to dress warmly, okay?"

Sehun glances at his screen where Baekhyun's face completely fills it up and he forgets how to breathe. Baekhyun has that small yet so pretty smile on his face, Sehun's once again captivated. 

"I will, hyung."

"Good. I better not hear from the others that you got sick."

Sehun rolls his eyes playfully. "Yes, mom."

Baekhyun giggles at that. He looks sleepy now but Sehun only finds it even cuter. He can see the older's eyelids threatening to close any minute but Baekhyun keeps trying to fight the drowsiness away. It's cute. God, his hyung really is so cute. How can Sehun not like him?

Sehun freezes. What is he thinking? He doesn't like his hyung like that. There is no way he can like Baekhyun more than a friend, a brother… right? He can't betray him. He can't ruin their beautiful friendship just because Sehun fails to keep his feelings platonic.

He is brought back to reality when he hears Baekhyun's soft mumbles and snores. Turns out, the older member has fallen asleep while Sehun's caught in an internal conflict.

Does he really mean it? Does he really like Baekhyun… that way? Friends can like each other, right? Liking someone doesn't always mean it should be romantic… right?

Sehun doesn't end the call yet. He stares at him for a while, enjoying the adorable sight. He touches the screen as if he's stroking the elder's cheek. It isn't until Chanyeol opens the door with a loud bang, making Sehun jump in surprise, that he ends the call. He quickly turns his phone off and keeps it in his back pocket, hoping Chanyeol doesn't catch a glimpse of it. But maybe Sehun has moved a second too late because Chanyeol sees it all. He squints his eyes at him, highly suspicious of the younger's actions.

"Who's that?" he questions.

Sehun plays innocent. "Who's who?"

The taller one raises his eyebrow at Sehun, becoming even more skeptical of him. "I've had a Lasik surgery, Sehun. My vision has never failed me yet since then. I saw a person on your screen. You must be talking to someone, so who?"

"Aish, I wasn't!"

"You're getting defensive," Chanyeol reflects directly.

"I wasn't talking to anyone!" Sehun sounds rather fretful. "I- I was just watching a video."

Chanyeol looks like he doesn't believe him but luckily, he just shrugs and drops the topic. "Just say it's your Taurus crush. It's not like it's wrong, though. Just be careful."

Sehun flushes. Baekhyun's not his crush! He's just his friend, a very dear friend. Maybe even his favorite. Someone Sehun can't afford to lose over someone Baekhyun just worked with.

"I do _not_ have a crush," he grumbles, storming like a toddler to his seat in front of the dresser, beside Chanyeol.

Chanyeol only chuckles.

_Whatever_ , he tells Chanyeol, or maybe himself, in his mind. He is not crushing on Baekhyun.

There's no way he's crushing on him.

Not even when he scrolls through Twitter again that night for more photos of Baekhyun and Jongin— he tries to search for Jongin's photos, too, to feel less guilty— and ends up blocking a few accounts sharing photos and tweets of Baekhyun and Lucas.

"Lucas" is now on the list of his muted words.

* * *

Sehun wakes up late and he's never been happier. He has no schedule for today and only plans to stay in the dorm, wanting to spend the day off resting and recharging. _Finally, a breather!_ The past few weeks have been really hectic and he's only getting that one-day rest before he faces another busy one as EXO's comeback date approaches fast. Actually, it's not even a 24-hour day-off. Maybe just around 15-20 because they'll be practicing later for their comeback but Sehun's not complaining. He's grateful enough to be able to sleep through his alarms.

But other than getting extra hours of sleep, there's something else that makes today extra special.

Or _someone_.

"Sebongie!"

Sehun feels a sudden heavy weight jumping on his back. He doesn't even need to turn around to know it's Baekhyun. Who else can it be if not him?

Baekhyun's finally back.

"I missed you!" Baekhyun ruffles his hair like he's Mongryong. If he isn't too happy to finally be with his favorite hyung again, he would've hissed in annoyance.

Kidding, he can never be annoyed at his Baekhyun hyung.

"Ahh! Looks like my quiet days have come to an end," Sehun teases while shaking his head.

Baekhyun pinches his cheek at that. Sehun only laughs.

"Just kidding, hyung. I missed you, too. How was your trip in the US?"

Baekhyun slumps on the couch. "Tiring but they're fun. The guys were great companies, too, especially Lucas. Such a funny guy!"

Sehun almost snorts at that but he's glad he's able to stop himself.

If only he can also mute the name in real life.

"Ellen was a bit boring but you did not hear that from me," Baekhyun continues with a laugh.

Sehun laughs along, too, but not too loud. He wants to hear more of the sound he misses the most.

"What about you? I heard you're free today,” asks Baekhyun.

The younger male takes the empty spot on the couch right next to Baekhyun. "Yep, finally. I'll have a few hours off before we go practice later on."

"So do I. You got anything planned today?"

Sehun takes a few seconds to think about it because honestly, he has not given much thought about what he's gonna do. He's only been looking forward to waking up late without getting reprimanded. The rest of the day remains unplanned— maybe come up with anything he can think of doing at home along the way.

So he shakes his head, that's when Baekhyun beams at him, looking like those in the movies where a lightbulb appears— an idea.

"Wanna play Battlegrounds?"

  
  


After getting a few snacks to munch while gaming, both Baekhyun and Sehun take their seats right in front of their respective gaming computers. Online games, usually multiplayer battle royal games, have always been a hobby they both enjoy doing together. They have even done a live stream before showing their great teamwork in playing PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG). It's been fun. It easily becomes one of Sehun's most favorite.

"Which map?" asks Baekhyun, eyes focusing on the options given.

Sehun shrugs. "Wherever you like."

"Sanhok it is!"

Baekhyun clicks start, revealing the part where all players are gathered just before the actual game begins.

"Where should we go?" asks Sehun as he opens the map, trying to look for the perfect place to land.

Baekhyun ponders while studying the map of Sanhok. Sehun glances and he can't help but think Baekhyun looks adorable when he's serious while doing something he enjoys.

He then places a mark on a place called "Camp Bravo" and turns to Sehun for approval who only nods at him and marks the same place.

After successfully landing in their marked place, they start looting separately. It's quiet, both focusing on the game too seriously so Baekhyun decides to break the ice.

"Ah, I missed playing with you, Sebongie. I wonder if we can do the livestream again. What do you think?"

Sehun feels his cheeks heat up. "That would be nice."

"Right? It was so fun, especially when we played with the fans. Remember when they had their mics on yelling, 'Oppa, I love you!' repeatedly?" he mimics with a laugh. Sehun laughs along, reminiscing that fun moment.

"Wasn't that the Zombie mode? Where they were zombies?"

"Yep, that one. Someone even said 'I love you' to me right before I finished them off. I felt bad for her at that moment."

Sehun fakes a gasp and teases the older, "You're mean!"

"It's part of the game! I have to win!"

Sehun steals a glance and sees the older man pouting. Damn, he wishes he can steal a kiss, too.

_Wait, what? What was I thinking?_

Sehun shakes his head, thinking maybe it will shake his thoughts off of his head, too. _Weird_ thoughts have been occupying his head lately and Sehun does not like them at all. Not a bit.

"Wait, Sebongie. I hear someone nearby," Baekhyun warns. "Be careful!"

"I hear him, too. Do you see him?" He takes a quick glance at Baekhyun's screen to check.

"No. But I think he's in the house next to yours," Baekhyun says, placing a mark on the map on the house he's referring to.

Sehun opens the map to check on the location Baekhyun has marked. He peeks through his window to confirm whether Baekhyun's assumption is correct but he doesn't see any sign of the enemy. He still hears his footsteps, however.

"I don't see him, hyung. I'm going out."

Sehun goes out of the house he's in and right there, he comes face-to-face with the enemy who then starts shooting at him. Sehun starts shooting back, too, but the enemy is quicker. He manages to knock Sehun out.

"Sebongie, hide! I'm coming!" Baekhyun shouts as Sehun starts hiding behind the boulder nearby.

He hears gunshots later on and takes a look at Baekhyun's screen. Turns out, his hyung has killed the enemy successfully. Baekhyun's hurt, life bar has reduced to half, but nonetheless, they are safe. Baekhyun's character rushes to where Sehun is hiding and helps him heal.

"Do you have a First Aid Kit?" Baekhyun leans over to see Sehun's loots.

Sehun shakes his head. "Just bandages."

"Okay, hold on. I got one. Use this." Baekhyun drops off one of his Med Kit to give it to Sehun.

"A First Aid Kit would've been enough, hyung."

"So you can recover fully immediately. Don't worry, I got an extra," Baekhyun says, healing himself with bandages and injecting a shot of Adrenaline, slowly getting his life bar full again.

Sehun looks over Baekhyun's screen to see his loots this time. He wonders why Baekhyun has lied about having an extra Med Kit. He shrugs it off.

They start moving to a different place after looting on the dead player's crate. Baekhyun leaves a 4x scope for him behind and he thanks his hyung for it. Baekhyun also takes his Spetsnaz helmet (level 3) off and switches it with Sehun's Military helmet (level 2). When Sehun asks why, he simply answers with a smile, "To protect you better."

The safe zone is shrinking and they are still less than 500 meters away from it. They spot no vehicle nearby so they have to make a run for it. Fortunately, the map they're on is smaller than the other maps so it's easier. Sehun's character leads the way. That way, he can subtly protect his hyung, too, from enemies.

"Ay, hyung. Your short legs can't keep up with me, huh?" he teases, looking smug when his character finally reaches the edge of the circle.

He winces when Baekhyun hits him on his left arm.

"Ya! You ungrateful jerk! I saved your ass back there!"

Baekhyun's character starts punching Sehun's once he has caught up with him. Sehun only laughs. He also tries to punch Baekhyun's character back.

"Why are you attacking me?" Baekhyun whines when Sehun doesn't stop punching him.

"You attacked me first!"

"You laughed at my short legs!"

Sehun laughs harder that he starts to feel his cheeks hurting. "Hyung, the characters all have the same height!"

Out of frustration at the younger friend, Baekhyun gives his character a few more punches before he runs into the house first. He turns to face Sehun's character and gives a wave.

"Bye!" he sings before he gets in the house.

Sehun follows him after a while.

The game continues with only eleven players alive. Baekhyun has killed nine enemies while Sehun has killed three. The safe zone has also shrunk into a tiny circle around Tat Mok and Paradise Resort.

Sehun tries to keep his character hidden by going prone on top of the hill so he can see more of the places down and across. They hear shooting and the map shows it's happening a few meters across from him. He hears another shot, this time it sounds like it comes from a sniper with a suppressor, and sees that Baekhyun's been hit.

"Fuck!" Baekhyun curses.

Sehun chants repeatedly, "Hold on!"

He quickly throws a smoke grenade right where Baekhyun is hiding and rushes to his side as soon as smoke comes out.

"Did you see him?" asks Baekhyun while Sehun heals him.

"Yeah. I think he's hiding behind those logs." Sehun throws another smoke grenade in a different direction to misdirect the enemies.

"Thanks, Sebongie."

"A life for a life. My debt has been repaid."

Baekhyun bursts out laughing. "Did you just quote Li Shang?"

Sehun just grins. He goes back to where he's previously hiding and opens the scope of his sniper. He looks around for the same player who knocks Baekhyun out earlier. He's plotting revenge and definitely out for his blood. Nobody can hurt his Baekhyun hyung. Not even a damn player in some game. Not on his watch.

Once he locks on his target, he pulls the trigger and instantly kills the enemy with a head shot.

"Wow," Baekhyun reacts. "Nice!"

Sehun blushes. His heart starts racing and he's not sure if it's because the safe zone has now reduced its size earlier to half or because of Baekhyun.

He's not too keen on finding out anytime soon, though. Just the thought of blushing because of Baekhyun, with him just right beside him, makes his heart beat twice harder. Besides, he's got a chicken dinner to win.

The game progresses and then, only two enemies are left.

"Yes!" Baekhyun cheers excitedly. "We're about to win this, Sehun-ah! Yohoo!"

Sehun chuckles lightly. "Of course we'll win, hyung! We are the best.”

"Yes, you are." It's soft, Sehun almost misses it but he doesn't and boy, his heart feels like it's coming out of his chest with how loud, how hard, how fast it's beating.

He's taken by surprise when Baekhyun suddenly starts shouting and gunshots are heard. "Sehun! SW240! Inside the other warehouse."

Sehun leans to his right to check the location from where he's hiding and indeed, he sees two people; one is hiding inside the container while the other one goes inside the warehouse. Sehun rushes inside, too, and starts climbing on a large forestry truck inside. Once he gets on top, he climbs on the beams to get on the rooftop. He gets a wider view of the entire safe zone and right there, he opens his scope and sets his target on the man inside the container. Baekhyun has managed to knock out the one inside the warehouse after throwing a grenade at him. That is the perfect timing Sehun has been waiting for because the man comes out of his hiding place to rescue his teammate. Sehun starts raining bullets on him.

Another Winner Winner Chicken Dinner for the duo.

"Yes!" Baekhyun gets up from his seat and throws a punch in the air. "Another chicken dinner, baby!"

_B-Baby?_

"Uh huh," Baekhyun sings as he starts dancing. "Oh yeah, oh yeah!"

_That wasn't for you, idiot. An expression. It was an expression._

Why will that even cross his mind? He prays to no one that someone better come in right this instant and snap him out of his weirdness.

"Are you just gonna sit there and stare at me dancing alone?" Well, that someone happens to be Baekhyun himself, staring right back at him.

Damn, he has not even realized he's openly staring at him for who knows how long.

"I don't want to look silly," Sehun teases.

Baekhyun throws a soft punch on his arm and bites it hard. Sehun yelps in pain and pushes his Baekhyun hyung away from him. He caresses the spot the elder just bit.

Baekhyun giggles before surprising Sehun with a quick peck on that same spot. "Shall we go for another round?"

That surprises Sehun that he's only able to nod, speechless. He feels his nape and cheeks burn, almost as if the fire coming from his shoulder spreads to them, even up his ears, painting them all red. It doesn't even sting but there is this lingering feeling that's making his heart race— the ghost of Baekhyun's lips.

Even after the game starts, he can still feel it and he internally panics because he likes it. Oh God, he likes this feeling. He wants more. It's supposed to be an innocent gesture, he knows, but he can't stop his mind from going to places. Sehun's no longer a kid who needs his parents or hyungs to kiss his _booboos_ away so the act is unnecessary and it's absolutely unfair that a simple act of Baekhyun babying him has this much effect on Sehun.

What is happening to him?

"Sehun, watch out!" Baekhyun's warning takes him out of his reverie.

_Thank God,_ he prays. He's glad Baekhyun has stopped him or else he will have to dash out and hide in his room until he sorts all these feelings.

He regains focus on the game but he's late. Some enemy nearby has knocked him down. He swiftly hides and Baekhyun has once again come to rescue him.

"Are you okay? You're red," Baekhyun notes as he looks at Sehun every now and then.

Sehun clears his throat and stretches his neck both sides. "Yes, I'm okay. Just surprised by the enemy."

Baekhyun chuckles. "You're like Lucas."

Pause. Has he heard it right? Sehun reminds Baekhyun of Lucas?

"He gets so mad and frustrated every time an enemy knocks him out that he turns super red." Baekhyun laughs at the memory. "It's funny."

Sehun grips his gaming mouse as hard as how his chest tightens at that. There goes that bitterness again; that unpleasant feeling bubbling inside him.

"Really?" he comments still while trying to contain the feeling. He's not letting it take over him.

Baekhyun hums. "We play Battlegrounds mobile during breaks since we don't have our gaming computers with us. It's fun. He's a newbie but he's learning fast."

"I see," Sehun's replies come cold and he sounds uninterested.

The exchange ends there and both stay focused on the game. Sehun is relieved he has swiftly ended the talk about Lucas.

The bitterness is still there, however, but he pours it all out in the game. He kills off a few enemies rather hastily which gets him wounded but still alive, anyway. He hears Baekhyun saying 'wow' repeatedly in amazement and that makes him feel a bit better.

Baekhyun's impact.

The game ends with the duo getting another chicken dinner. Baekhyun does his little celebratory dance again while Sehun just watches him.

"Another game?" Sehun declines this time. He doesn't feel like playing it anymore.

Not when it reminds Baekhyun of someone else.

Baekhyun visibly deflates at that but he gives Sehun a soft smile. "Is there anything else you want to do?"

Sehun thinks for a while before shaking his head again. "Just feel like lying on my bed and rest."

"Oh,” Baekhyun says. "Let's go then!"

"Go where?"

"To your bed!" the elder replies ecstatically and pulls Sehun up.

Next thing he knows, he is getting dragged by Baekhyun to his room. He doesn't understand what he wants to do. All Sehun can think about is their hands; Baekhyun's soft hands holding his large ones. He thinks about how it fits perfectly and how he wants to keep holding it.

But it doesn't last long because Baekhyun lets go and throws himself on Sehun's bed, leaving the younger standing on the edge and already missing his warmth. 

He puts his hands on his hips and with an eyebrow raised, he emphasizes, "I thought _I_ said _I_ wanted to rest on my bed."

Baekhyun just rolls his eyes at the maknae before he pulls him to the bed, too. He places his arm and leg over Sehun's body and encases him in his tight hug to shut him up.

"Stop being annoying and just let me cuddle,” Baekhyun complains, hugging him tighter.

Sehun has initially planned to just stay on his bed, scrolling through his phone to browse for tweets or watch movies, maybe, when he declines but with his Baekhyun hyung clinging to him like a sloth to a tree, doing any of his plans is a struggle.

He turns to look at him and finds him slowly falling into slumber. To test, he pinches his nose to which Baekhyun winces. The elder is quick to hit him.

"That hurts!"

Sehun laughs. He reminds Baekhyun again, clearly teasing the elder, "Just checking. As far as I remember, _again_ , _I_ said _I_ was going to rest."

"I had a long flight and rushed here to spend the day with you first so I think I deserve a nap. Let me!" he grumbles.

Now that's another way to make his heart skip a beat. He hasn't known he's the first person Baekhyun has met since he arrived. Sehun feels special.

But Baekhyun doesn't have to know that. 

So Sehun tries to counter, "Then take a nap on your bed! Why are you on mine?"

But in reality, he doesn't want Baekhyun to leave. He can take all the space he wants, hug all of Sehun. He doesn't mind.

Then Baekhyun puckers his lips out in a pout, eyes still closed— if only he knows how weak Sehun is for his pouts. "Don't wanna. Now be quiet! Hyung is sleeping."

Sehun pretends to sigh as if he's giving up, in contrast to the panic state his heart is in.

He ends up smiling at him softly and then he whispers a sweet, "Good night, hyung."

A few moments later, Baekhyun is fast asleep beside him. He looks at him again, like all the other days when the smaller male sleeps over. He caresses his face before moving to his hair. It always helps his Baekhyun hyung sleep better.

Then it hits him, his emotions and thoughts.

Contentment and extreme happiness take over Sehun amidst the chaos his mind and heart are both in. He likes having his hyung beside him and taking care of him like what he does for Sehun. 

But there's also greed. Selfishness, for wanting to hold him closer, to hold him always. For wanting more. For wanting this every single day.

Then his hand freezes. His heart beat picks its pace up and he's scared.

It's scaring Sehun even more than it does before because he now understands where it's coming from. It's slowly sinking into him why he's feeling all those unexplainable things whenever he's with Baekhyun. The feeling when his blood rushes to his face when Baekhyun kisses his shoulder. How his heart races when his hyung holds his hand. The bitterness he feels when he sees him interacting closely with other people, like how Baekhyun does with him.

Somehow, it all clicks, like a puzzle has been solved and the picture is completed. Sehun sees it. He finally sees it.

Chanyeol is wrong after all. It isn't a crush. It isn't _just_ a crush.

Sehun is falling and he's falling fast, like a coin that has been tossed in a deep well. It's unstoppable. It's almost as if he's being pulled by gravity, too. There are no brakes, no stops. The water may slow it down but it is bound to sink to the ground in no time. 

And Sehun sees himself sinking. In just a matter of time, he, too, will hit the ground. Will it be painful? He doesn't know. Sehun has never liked anyone in his entire life. This is all foreign to him and he just can't believe that out of all the people, his heart has chosen his Baekhyun hyung.

_Fuck._ It's even more unbelievable that he has now thought of such cheesy stuff. Sehun can never stand cheesiness without cringing.

He wishes he can go back in time. Maybe if he has done something before when he's seen all those flashing red lights, heard those warning signals, he could've avoided this... problem. But no, he has chosen to evade them because he's afraid. He's been scared of confronting his then weird feelings because he might end up falling for real; that he'll think too much about it until it becomes a reality.

But here he is, realizing too late and regretting why he's not done anything to prevent it. Now that he has fallen, Sehun is bound to long for more, to want for more and he hates it. He hates himself for allowing this to happen. For putting himself and Baekhyun in a situation that could cost them their friendship they've built for years. God, it can even cost them their careers if Sehun can't handle it right.

Because Sehun can't ask for more. He shouldn't ask for more than what Baekhyun can only give.

Friendship. Brotherhood.

_That's it. Don't be greedy, Sehun._

He looks at Baekhyun again.

But maybe today— _just today_ , Sehun tells himself as he holds him even tighter— he can be a little greedy and hope for more.

  
  


Sehun wakes up two hours later. The side Baekhyun has slept on is now empty. He glances at his phone to check the time and he realizes he still has a few hours left before their scheduled practice. He looks around to see any signs of his favorite hyung but there's none. He frowns as he gets out of his bed.

His happiness has been short-lived.

"Oh, you're awake!"

Or maybe not.

There on his doorstep, stands Baekhyun with a charming smile. Sehun is captivated once again. Sehun notices Baekhyun is now wearing a new set of clothes. He guesses the older member must've taken a shower and changed while Sehun's asleep. Baekhyun looks dashing in his light khaki-colored shorts which he pairs with a white shirt that's a size bigger than him. His red Balenciaga belt pouch even adds a little sizzle to his entire look as it matched his rosy cheeks. Sehun is probably drooling.

"Let's have lunch. I'm starving."

He nods curtly. His throat feels dry and mind empty that he can't properly put words together. So he just runs to the shower after grabbing his towel. Baekhyun must be confused but he just can't look at him straight in the eyes at the moment after everything he's realized. Plus, Baekhyun looks too handsome to take for someone who has just woken up.

"I'll wait for you in the living room!" Baekhyun informs him from the outside.

He inhales deeply before yelling back, "Okay!"

He hears the door closing which means Baekhyun has left his room. He sighs again.

_I am in big, big trouble._

  
  


Sehun comes out of his room, all dressed up in a plain white shirt, acid-wash tattered skinny jeans, and his favorite black baseball cap. In other words, he looks hot, or as he tries to.

But with the way Baekhyun stares at him with his mouth slightly open and looks at Sehun from top to toe, he's confident that he has succeeded.

"Are we going for lunch or to a photoshoot?" Baekhyun whistles, obviously entranced by the taller member. "I suddenly feel underdressed."

Sehun disagrees. He looks breathtaking and just as captivating, probably more, as Sehun. He is completely swooning over him.

"Hey, you good?" Baekhyun starts snapping his fingers at Sehun when he remains frozen.

"Yeah." Sehun clears his throat. "Let's go?"

Baekhyun shrugs and heads to the door. Sehun almost wants to hit himself just to get him to think straight.

_Damn, feelings._

  
  


After lunch, Baekhyun and Sehun have gone back to their dorm to change into outfits that are more appropriate and comfortable before they leave for practice. They have decided earlier to take Sehun's car because Baekhyun feels too lazy to drive. Sehun doesn't mind at all.

Baekhyun takes the seat right beside Sehun in front after throwing their bags at the back.

"Can I play some music?" Baekhyun asks as he scrolls through his playlist.

"Sure."

The older member immediately connects his phone to the car's audio player via Bluetooth after getting his approval. Fate must be playing games on Sehun because the song that plays is perfect for the situation they're in at the moment.

**_Passenger Seat by Stephen Speaks_ **

Sehun tries to calm his heart down, shifting his focus on the road instead of Baekhyun's beautiful vocals as he sings and hums along to the song. He steals a glance once the orange light glows and sees him with his eyes closed. His fingers lightly tapping on the window along with the beats. It must be romantic to drive with a hand on the wheel and the other holding Baekhyun's. He wonders if that can happen in the future.

Sehun feels his heart swell and he blushes at the thought. His mind is going places all because of a song and this view. God, he loves this. He wishes he could watch Baekhyun like this his entire life. It will be a life happily lived.

Just as the song reaches the second chorus, the light turns green. Sehun looks back on the road and drives.

_And I've got all that I need, right here in my passenger seat._

There are absolutely no truer words than the lyrics of this song.

Baekhyun is all he needs and more.

  
  


They reach SM Entertainment after a few stops and turns. Bowing to the fans waiting outside for them and to the staff they meet, they both head to their designated practice room where they are set to meet the rest.

"Baekhyun hyung!" Someone suddenly calls Baekhyun. Sehun also turns around to see who it is.

Fate must really enjoy playing games on him.

"Oh? Lucas!" Baekhyun goes to the younger man and gives him a hug and a pat on the back. "I thought you had no schedule today."

"Training" is Lucas' short reply. When he notices Sehun standing behind Baekhyun, he immediately bows and greets him.

Sehun bows back in acknowledgement.

"Ah, I see. Good luck with that. Make sure to tie your shoelaces this time." It looks like Baekhyun is teasing him because Lucas turns red in embarrassment which makes Baekhyun laugh.

Sehun gets that unpleasant feeling again as he stands there, forgotten and out of place. He can't even engage into their conversation, too, because what would he say? It must be stuff about their group which he has no idea about.

When he thinks that Baekhyun is busy, he leaves first without telling him and goes to the practice room ahead.

He hates himself for letting jealousy take over him. It's stupid and he shouldn't be jealous in the first place because he isn't in a romantic relationship with Baekhyun. He's just a fellow member, a close friend, maybe someone Baekhyun considers to be a brother, just like everyone else, and that includes Lucas. Nothing more and it shouldn't bother him. It shouldn't hurt because Sehun can't be selfish. He shouldn't want more.

If he is going to act like this, think like this, then he should just stay away from Baekhyun. Maybe it's better that way, Sehun thinks, because he still doesn't know how he'll act around Baekhyun from now on after realizing his true feelings. Of course, the best is to act normally and Sehun knows that but it's another story when feelings are involved. He is already jealous even by just seeing Baekhyun hanging out with his other friends, _like him_ , what more if he's fallen deeper? He's afraid that he might do something that could hurt Baekhyun in the end. He already feels bad about his one-sided competition and a few ill feelings with Lucas because of his jealousy which the latter totally doesn't deserve. He doesn't want something even worse to happen.

Besides, Sehun just _can't_ remain touchy and intimate with Baekhyun knowing his feelings have changed. He might put meanings behind his hyung's friendly actions, fantasize about Baekhyun reciprocating his feelings, and start assuming things. He knows he _shouldn't_ but Sehun has yet to figure out how to control his feelings. He doesn't want to take advantage of Baekhyun.

_Maybe it's for the best_ , Sehun tries to convince himself.

Baekhyun follows him a few moments later and goes immediately to jump on Jongdae when he sees him. He hears Jongdae screaming. The two have started goofing around while they wait for everyone to arrive. Jongin arrives later and gives Sehun a hug before Jongdae starts attacking him too. Eventually, he and Baekhyun start telling Jongdae about their experiences in America. Sehun only sits on the couch, watching his hyungs converse and laugh. 

The remaining members, Junmyeon and Chanyeol, finally arrive together with the rest of the staff and they start practicing for their new choreography.

Throughout the practice, Sehun has kept his distance from Baekhyun. Whenever the older member initiates physical contact with him, he tries not to mind. Like when he's trying to practice and memorize a move he can't execute well, he tries to ignore Baekhyun who clings to his arm and leans his head on his broad shoulder. His heart has skipped a beat at that but he's chosen not to think about it. Baekhyun must have sensed it because he pulls away later.

During dinner, Sehun tries his best not to sit beside Baekhyun but the elder still ends up sitting across him. He also refuses when Baekhyun offers to share with him the chicken dish he's ordered, saying he isn't craving for it. Baekhyun looks dispirited at that and Sehun can clearly see it. Because he never rejects food given to him by his Baekhyun hyung. If only he isn't avoiding him, he will say yes because the chicken really looks good, Sehun actually wants to try it.

He hopes Baekhyun doesn't see him stealing a few pieces from Chanyeol who ordered the same as Baekhyun.

"You said you're not craving for it?"

Oops.

"I—" He coughs. "I suddenly wanted to try. It looks good."

Chanyeol turns to them at just the perfect time to see Sehun steal another piece of his chicken. "Yah!"

Sehun just flashes a huge smile as an apology.

"You could've asked if you wanted them," Chanyeol says, shaking his head at their _baby_.

He gives Sehun a few more pieces. With a smile, he tells Sehun to eat up. Sehun thanks him.

"Here, I have more," Baekhyun offers but Sehun only shakes his head.

"It's okay, hyung. Chanyeol hyung gave me enough."

He hopes he'll get a hold of himself soon so he can stop avoiding Baekhyun because seeing his frowns hurt Sehun so much more.

The night ends with Sehun succeeding. It's been a torture but he's glad he's made it through the practice without initiating contact or conversation with Baekhyun, unless necessary. Maybe if he continues to do this, he'll be able to figure it all out and get better control of his feelings and emotions. He hopes.

  
  


But Baekhyun makes it hard for him.

He has just gotten out of shower when he sees his hyung on his bed again, playing some game on his phone.

"Why are you here again, hyung?" Sehun questions, hands on his hips.

Baekhyun only replies with "Sleep." 

"You should be in your room, not mine."

Without getting his eyes off his phone, Baekhyun answers him with a pout, "Don't you want to sleep with me?"

_I want to but I shouldn't_ , Sehun wants to answer.

But he lies instead, "Junmyeon hyung is sleeping with me tonight."

"Oh.” The shorter male stops and looks at Sehun. "He is?"

_No._

Sehun nods. "Sorry."

"Oh, it's okay. I'll just," he pauses and gets out of Sehun's bed, "go back to our dorm, I guess."

_No, stay._

"Okay."

"Yeah, good night, Sehunnie."

"Good night, hyung," Sehun greets back as he watches Baekhyun leave his room with a smile that doesn't look as bright as he always does. He doesn't like it and he hates to be the one who has taken it away.

Baekhyun suddenly halts midway and turns back to Sehun.

"Can I sleep here again tomorrow or the next day?" Baekhyun's eyes sparkle, looking as if he's pleading Sehun to say yes.

Sehun almost gives in; the word 'yes' lingering just on the tip of his tongue. But luckily for him, he's able to stop himself. However, instead of directly rejecting him at that point, Sehun just answers, "Maybe."

Because how can Sehun refuse that?

* * *

With an upcoming comeback for their sixth full album and ongoing concert tour, EXO's weeks have been packed. Not to mention, they still have individual schedules to sneak in between. They've been so busy that, fortunately, Sehun has no time to think about his growing feelings for his favorite hyung. He's been so preoccupied with the tasks on hand that he has successfully evaded initiating intimate physical contacts with Baekhyun without actually meaning to. Of course they still talk as usual. Sehun has not planned on completely avoiding Baekhyun, just the contacts that he deems too intimate for friends to have. Even best friends.

However, Baekhyun still initiates them.

During concerts, Baekhyun still clings to him. He does all the stuff he often does like biting the younger member's arm and hugging him. He holds his hand or maybe, he feels like touching his face. Sehun lets him, making an excuse that it's for the fans. He's doing this for fanservice.

And maybe just for a while, he can be close to his hyung again before he goes back to keeping his distance from him.

Because off the stage, Sehun steps away from Baekhyun whenever the latter tries to act playful around him. He doesn't sit beside him anymore during meals, not even across him. He clings more to Chanyeol and Junmyeon lately, spending more of his time with them than the rest of the members, than Baekhyun. These do not stop Baekhyun from trying to be with him though.

Whenever they have a free day in between their hectic schedules, Baekhyun will go to their dorm first thing in the morning and convince Sehun to play Battlegrounds with him. Sehun is tempted to give in every time because that's their favorite thing to bond over. But he gathers all strength he has to reject him with a poor excuse of _'I want to sleep more, hyung.'_ He doesn't understand why Baekhyun still keeps on asking him despite getting rejected every single time. Whenever he says that, Baekhyun will lie down beside him and say, _'You know what, me too. Let's sleep.'_ He can't even protest because the elder just throws himself on his bed immediately. Ignoring him, Sehun just turns to the opposite side, away from Baekhyun. Sehun never does that whenever his hyung is sleeping over. They always cuddle. But this time, he doesn't want to touch him; he'll burn. He's scared he might give in or he'll end up taking advantage of his hyung's friendly clinginess. So he moves away and surprisingly, Baekhyun doesn't push. He wonders if his hyung has noticed all his actions.

There's even a time when Baekhyun squeezes himself to the van's door just to get inside before Junmyeon and sits beside Sehun. Even if he wants to move, he can't because Baekhyun has him trapped. He inwardly curses himself for choosing the window seat but there's nothing else he can do. So he puts on his earphones and turns the volume up. He doesn't even have a song playing. He's just pretending so Baekhyun will not try to open a conversation with him. He may not be able to stop himself if he starts. He then leans his head on the window and closes his eyes, mind not even a tad bit asleep. Seconds later, he feels that familiar weight resting on his shoulders. He will be lying if he says that doesn't make him want to hug Baekhyun so he can rest comfortably. But he has to endure it, resist the urge. So he slightly stirs before he sits up straight, resting his head on the car seat to subtly take Baekhyun off of his shoulder. It works. He peeks on Baekhyun with one eye and sees that he leans back instead. Baekhyun has his eyes closed and lips turned into a frown.

Sehun's heart hurts but he'll rather hurt himself than Baekhyun.

But despite everything, every effort, Sehun still keeps falling. No matter how hard he tries to avoid him and keep his feelings at bay, his attempts remain futile.

Just one look from Baekhyun, with that beautiful soft smile he always gives Sehun — just like what he does when Sehun shows him the broken finger trick Baekhyun has taught him to do during their last concert — has his heart racing, has him wanting more.

Every day, controlling his feelings becomes harder and harder. Sometimes he just thinks of insane ideas like, _'What if I confess to hyung?'_ because the feelings sometimes get overwhelming, he just wants to give it all up and be with him as much as he wants. Then he shakes it off of his head and calls himself stupid and crazy because, _'No, Sehun, you can't do that.'_

Their last concert outside Korea has finally ended and Sehun has finally breathed. It has been a long exhausting weekend for them, performing for three days straight. Sehun can't wait to finally go back home to Korea and spend the few days off resting or maybe go visit his family for the holidays. It's been a long time since he's been with them and he's definitely looking forward to celebrating Christmas with them.

Sehun goes straight to his hotel room after the concert, like the rest of his members do. He shares the room with his Jongdae hyung so he's confused when Baekhyun follows him to the room instead.

"Hyung? What are you doing here?"

Baekhyun looks tense and nervous. "Can we... talk?"

"Okay." He gestures to Baekhyun to sit on his bed. The older member does so.

Sehun sits a few feet away from him. "What do you want to talk about, hyung?"

"I..." Baekhyun stammers.

Sehun doesn't know what's happening but he can see his hyung fidgeting. He doesn't understand what makes him so jittery. It must be something important, though, because he looks serious.

Baekhyun takes a deep breath. "Are we okay?"

Sehun is taken by surprise. That's when his anxiety kicks in. Did Baekhyun notice? He hopes not. He doesn't really feel like explaining everything to Baekhyun now without telling him the truth about what he feels. Sehun has not even thought about confessing yet or whether he should do it in the first place. He's not ready for any confrontation and he surely, deeply hopes tonight isn't the night just yet.

"What do you mean, hyung?" he asks, swallowing the lump that's slowly growing in his throat.

Baekhyun looks at him with his eyes teary and suddenly, Sehun feels his chest constrict. He sees the pain in those beautiful orbs and somehow, he wonders if he is the cause for them. He probably is.

"I..." Baekhyun sniffs. "I don't know if I'm overthinking things but are you avoiding me?"

Boom. There it goes. Like a bucket of cold water has been splashed on Sehun, he freezes on his spot— speechless and unprepared. He stares back at Baekhyun who looks at him with so much worry and anxiety. Sehun hates himself for putting those there.

When Sehun doesn't answer, Baekhyun looks down on his lap. "I guess you are, then." He heaves a sigh, balling his hands to fists as if he's trying to stop himself from crying. "Did I do something wrong? Every night I think about the possible reasons but I just couldn't find any."

He looks up and Sehun sees more tears threatening to fall. "Did I upset you? Hurt you in any way? Please tell me." Sniff. "I-" Stutters. "I'll apologize."

Then it starts dawning on Sehun. He is dumb and a huge asshole, he thinks. How can he not think of how this could possibly hurt Baekhyun, too? He has been too scared for whatever his feelings may do that he ends up hurting Baekhyun; something he's thought he's preventing to happen. He's been selfish for thinking this can stop his feelings from growing deeper and save his friendship with Baekhyun that he doesn't even realize he's slowly ruining it.

Sehun is stupid and he hates himself for not thinking straight.

"No," he says with his voice shaking. "You've done nothing wrong."

"Then why?" Sehun jumps in surprise when Baekhyun raises his voice. Baekhyun is now practically screaming at him and Sehun feels scared.

This is it. His friendship with Baekhyun is about to end.

"Why are you avoiding me, Sehun? You won't even sit next to me anymore." Baekhyun sounds frustrated and mad. Honestly, Sehun thinks he deserves this.

"You even lied to me, Sehun. Every time I ask to sleep beside you, you keep rejecting me because Junmyeon hyung is taking my spot on your bed. And that hurts so bad. I got so jealous of Junmyeon hyung that I asked him, even begged him to say no for just one night and let me stay. But you know what he said?" Baekhyun pauses, a few tears have now dropped as he continues, letting all his emotions out of his chest. "That he hasn't been sleeping on your bed. Why did you lie, Sehun?"

Sehun doesn't answer. Instead, he suggests, stuttering, "Well, if you want, you can sleep here with—"

"Oh, God, Sehun, that's not the point!" Baekhyun yells in frustration. He wipes his tears away and tries his best to calm down.

"I missed you," Baekhyun confesses, barely audible. "So damn much and it's hard because you're here, just right here, but it feels like you're so far away."

He pauses and looks at Sehun with his eyes shining with more tears. When he doesn't speak, Baekhyun continues, "We only ever conversed when it's work-related. I feel like there's a wall that's growing between us and I don't know, I don't understand why it's there. I tried breaking it but" - a deep breath - "you won't even let me and it hurts."

The older member starts sobbing. His voice is laced with pain as he cries it all out while Sehun loathes himself for causing this great pain to his hyung.

All because Sehun can't keep his feelings and love platonic.

With that, Sehun pulls the older member to a hug and gently caresses his back in an attempt to comfort him.

"I'm sorry, hyung. I was selfish," he mutters, not knowing whether Baekhyun can hear it or not.

"I was scared, you know?" Baekhyun continues as he hugs Sehun back. "Because I thought maybe you've seen through me. Maybe I was already putting my heart on my sleeves and you saw how I desperately want us to be more than what we are now."

Sehun once again freezes. He slowly pushes Baekhyun away and looks at him with his eyes widening in surprise.

"What?"

With the look on Baekhyun's face, he must've been surprised, too.

"I-I-" he stutters. 

Baekhyun bites his lip and looks away. The younger male hears him muttering incomprehensible words, looking as if he's talking to himself. After a while, he sees Baekhyun taking a deep, deep breath before he turns back to Sehun. His hands are balled into fists, clutching the ends of his shirt and Sehun can feel he's anxious. He wishes he could kiss it away but he doesn't even understand where Baekhyun's anxiety is coming from.

"I like you, Sehun. Even more than a friend does," he confesses, eyes leaking more tears. "I'm sorry. Believe me, I tried to fight it. Every single day, I tried but it was useless." He looks up to Sehun and meets his gaze. "I only end up falling for you more."

"No." Sehun is stunned. He just can't believe Baekhyun. Is he playing pranks on him? "No, you don't."

"Yes, he does." 

Both Baekhyun and Sehun immediately turn their attention to the door, surprised by the sudden interruption in their serious conversation. Standing there is Jongdae, together with Chanyeol who looks shocked and frozen on his spot.

"All of us probably know about Baekhyun's feelings. I can't believe you're so dense, Sehun," Jongdae adds with a shake of his head. "I mean, you're all Baekhyun talks about. The man practically lives in your room despite having his own."

"What are you doing here?!" Baekhyun and Sehun ask at the same time.

Jongdae raises his hands up, as if he's surrendering, and walks to the couch where he's left his bag. "I'm just gonna take my stuff."

They remain stiff with cheeks flushing in red because Sehun can't believe what he just heard and Baekhyun has just realized he must've been so obvious about his feelings for the younger member all this time. He's embarrassed because he thinks he's been really careful about it.

"Anyway, continue with" — Jongdae thinks of the right word to say for a while but he only ends up settling with — "whatever you two were doing. Chanyeol and I are going."

With that, he pulls the stoned Chanyeol out of the room. Just before the door's been completely closed, they hear Chanyeol ask, yell, "Baekhyun is Sehun's Taurus crush?!"

_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!_ Sehun is doomed. Curse Chanyeol and his stupid mouth and his stupid smart ass for connecting the dots right away. Now maybe Sehun can just wish for the ground to open and swallow him up because there's no way Baekhyun has not heard it.

"Wait, what was Chanyeol talking about?"

Sehun's dead, he's absolutely dead and it's all thanks to Park Chanyeol.

He looks at Baekhyun, eyes await answers. Maybe Sehun even sees a tiny sparkle of hope? He's not sure. He tries not to assume too much.

"Am I…" Baekhyun suddenly feels shy as he scoots closer to Sehun. "Your Taurus crush?"

That's it. Park Chanyeol's dead, he'll make sure of it. Sehun's gonna kick his ass. Yes, he will.

"Is it true, Sebongie?" God, Sehun misses that nickname so much. "Because Jongdae was right."

Baekhyun takes his hand and keeps his eyes locked on their hands together. "I honestly thought I was being subtle but apparently, I wasn't." He lets out a small laugh before continuing, "I've loved you for so long, Sehun. I really—"

Sehun interrupts the older, "I love you, too."

He looks up in surprise. "What?"

Sehun takes a deep breath and gathers all the courage again. He repeats, "I love you, too. And it's the reason why I tried to keep my distance from you because I was scared. Realizing my feelings meant things were about to change, maybe even end."

He moves closer to Baekhyun this time, not leaving a single centimeter of space between them and holds his hands tighter. "I thought if I controlled my feelings, maybe things wouldn't have to change. I was scared I'd hurt you and ruin our friendship and lose you because I was so sure it wasn't mutual. I never even considered the idea that you might actually like me back that I ended up hurting you, which I was desperately trying not to do."

He looks at Baekhyun straight in his eyes as he mutters his apology. The latter only smiles at him, that sweet smile once again that never fails to make Sehun fall over and over again. He's glad to see it. It's been a while since he's seen him flash a smile that wide it reaches his twinkling eyes.

Baekhyun looks so happy and Sehun's chest swells in pride because he's the reason behind it. He makes a promise to himself to do his best to keep making him happy.

He is taken by surprise, though, when Baekhyun suddenly throws himself at Sehun, causing them to crash on his bed. The smaller male giggles before he moves into a comfortable position to cuddle Sehun. He can feel his cheeks heat up as they get into an intimate position they've never been into since Sehun starts avoiding Baekhyun.

"It's okay, Sebongie," Baekhyun assures him, his soft hand reaching to touch Sehun's cheek. "We've both been dumb but I'm glad we sorted this out."

Sehun cutely leans to Baekhyun's warm hand while giving all his attention to him. He turns his body to face Baekhyun and softly caresses the elder's hair. At that moment, Sehun finally succumbs and embraces his feelings wholly; the best decision he's ever made. His heart and mind are finally at peace. He just wishes they can stay like this for a long time, maybe even forever. 

Then an idea comes. He thinks whether it will be the right time to ask Baekhyun to be his boyfriend but then he remembers Chanyeol's words from before and that makes him pout.

He feels Baekhyun tapping his cheek. The older must have noticed the sudden change in his expression.

"What's with the pout?" Baekhyun's voice is soft and comforting.

"I just remembered something."

"What is it?" Baekhyun probes.

"How much time do you want, hyung?"

Confused, Baekhyun responds with, "Huh?"

Sehun sighs. "Chanyeol hyung told me before that Taurus people like to take their time before dating. That they want to be chased."

It takes time before Baekhyun fully understands what Sehun is talking about and he laughs. The latter gets confused. Has he said anything funny? He pouts more.

He also realizes that maybe Aries people do tend to rush things because the more he looks at Baekhyun, the more he wants to date him already.

"Oh, Sehun. You are so adorable," Baekhyun comments as he calms down from his laughter. "Don't rely too much on those things, Sebongie. They aren't always true."

Sehun looks at his Baekhyun hyung with those adorable puppy eyes of his. Cheeks are colored like strawberries, Baekhyun's favorites.

"If that's the case" — Sehun leans closer — "can I be more, then?"

Baekhyun bites his lower lip before happily squeezing his cheeks.

"You already are."

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I did it. 🥺
> 
> I hope you've squinted to see all the subtle hints of Baekhyun's feelings. Hehe.
> 
> Forever grateful to my beta J who's helped me through it all, I'm so lucky. And of course, A and S who have given me a lot of inputs and support throughout the journey (along with multiple breakdowns along the way lmao). I've really learned a lot while writing this.
> 
> To the lovely prompter for this cute prompt! I hope I've given justice to your idea and thank you for addressing all my questions then.
> 
> To the cutest and best mod ever, Mod Vivi for being such a sweetheart. Thank you for your hardwork and for the opportunity to write again. 🥺💛
> 
> Lastly, to you, who's currently reading this. Thank you so much for taking your time and effort. It already means a lot to me. This is the first fic I've written years after I stopped trying so this fic means so much to me. This is me trying to pick up a part of myself I've already buried and somehow forgot, so knowing there are people who have read it and even liked it, I already feel so grateful and happy. 
> 
> Love you all. I hope you're all doing well, safe, and healthy. 🥰
> 
> EDIT (08/23/2020): Hello, I've written a short sequel for this with my adopted Case-94 Fest prompt. Here's the link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058322


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